Bjay, lottie thanks. It will be tiring this is why I am stocking up on Chelsea buns etc. I am also hoping to lose some weight though

Geoff non of the schools I have taught at match tv schools, mainly because they have 1200 pupils and 80 staff and 30 plus in a classroom. Most of the staff are too tired to be getting up to stuff. Although I have worked with a teacher who misbehaved

Yes Kate, you'll find it strange at first, but soon you'll be wizzing through fine! BTW your garden will survive without you- I know that will hurt at first, but it's true!! And you'll have w/ends & hols....

We now have water back on- YAY!! Ok cold, but better than none. Have cuppa & had toasted buttie & am well wrapped up again as sun gone from this room.

Daughter escaped early to work muttering about bathrooms & canteens!! J.

Kate, I do feel for you, teaching is tiring and you will have to build up your stamina for it - I hope it works out well for you. We'll have tlc and cyber cake waiting when you get home. 'Sums' is good, I think, though under appreciated. People (esp. parents of students) will happily claim 'I'm useless at Maths' but they would never dream of saying 'I'm rubbish at reading'.

Jo, I remember the same problem about using the bathroom facilities when I was having work done in there. I decided to walk down to the local shops and ask my hairdresser if I could use hers!

Geoff, was it you with the lightning-quick sharp teeth, then? I've delivered leaflets often but never been frighted until today. Luckily contact was minimal and no damage done but I did exclaim B*****ks as I withdrew my hand. It's those bloomin' brushy things inside letterboxes that mean you have to poke your hand inside.

Kate, you'll be surprised at how well things do without our attention. Quite annoying really. If you are one of those really tidy gardeners then am sorry, but if like me you are 'sort of scruffy' out there, then it's fine.

OH has been muttering AGAIN about the un-even-sunk flags on back patio. I have got bolshie, again, & said no! Not if we're planning to move sometime, it's not worth it, like the kitchen. But, & there always is a but, we've just noticed that the worst of the 'sinking' follows the line of the main drain!! That I do know is fine as when next door got probs a couple of months back ours was checked, as were others further down, & all was ok. Am sure it's only because he's more likely to trip out there when taking pics that he's even noticed it. Been like it for yrs!!

Oh & cant get out without getting soaked walking to bus or having to drive OH's car- no thx! Mine stuck in garage in front of which OH parked, with 2 engineer vans in front of drive, which would have to move & so on. I'll give them their due though, they havent parked across neighbours' driveway, unlike when they get visitors, builders etc!!

Added to which, Trafford Centre will be heaving as still half-term for some, plus the 'C' light switch on this evening. Debated getting bus into central Manchester, but still half term for some etc etc.

We've got a curtain pole still in the loft! I found the replacement new curtains in the top of spare room wardrobe t'other week. Perhaps one day, never more likely.

We dont plan to spend un-nec money on this house, because one day we'll move away. Daughter will get her own house once she knows where likely to be based. It'll be in NWest, because that's where she's happiest, but we've no ties to Manchester once my treatment all over so we can go anywhere. J.

Even if you'd stayed at home you wouldn't have been able to do very much gardening, at least for the next 4 or 5 months. I'll be stuck inside most of that time. Come next April we start getting long nights, and we all know school teachers have a holiday from Easter till September.

Just because a person has a full-time job it does not mean that they do not post frequently on here during the day. I will say no more.

I used to be terrified of Jacky Jumpers (don't know if that was their proper name or just what we called them). They were a sort of zig zag shape and had several "bangs" in them and moved all over the place and someone would always throw one at you!

Forgot to say Geoff that the reason the central heating wasn't working was due to a faulty sensor (1 of 4 apparently) and the gasman actually had the right one in his van. We couldn't believe our luck as we expected at the very least a part would have to be ordered.